The Assumption And My Living Sign of Hope

In 1950 Pope Pius XII officially recognized the assumption of Mary into heaven as part of divine revelation. The Church had believed this for many centuries, but the Pope was led by the Holy Spirit to make it official. Why then? In 1950, the world was beginning to realize that no one had won World War II or any other war. Every nation had lost, some more than others. A terrifying sadness was gripping Europe and beyond. A sign of hope was needed, and Mary assumed into heaven was a sure sign of hope. Today, receive a double portion of the Spirit. Be hopeful, and be a living sign of hope. (Adapted from Presentation Ministries)

This isn’t a post to define or defend why Catholics celebrate the Assumption. My apologetics skills aren’t the strongest — I lean on Joel, maybe too much, to serve that role. He experiences the faith intellectually, and I, well, rather practically. A match made in Heaven? In the event you’ve stopped by and are searching for more “guts” on the Assumption, I have included some resources at the end of the post for more exploration.

Mary greeted us upon our arrival

So what is this post about anyway? I’ve been holding close to my heart a story about how our Blessed Mother gave me hope, how she wrapped her arms around me and gave me a sense of peace like I’ve never felt. It’s hard to put into words because the emotions are still so real, raw, and very personal.

My story begins at Mary’s house in Ancient Ephesus (Turkey), a place said to be the last place Saint John took Mary to live, and a pilgrimage stop during our recent trip to Rome, Greece, and Turkey. It is a pilgrimage point not only for Christians, but also for Muslims given they believe Jesus is a prophet and honor Mary’s role in his life. Her home has become a place of prayer for Muslim women suffering from infertility, and many women make a pilgrimage to this sacred site on Fridays and pray for Mary’s intercession.

Upon arriving at the site, my senses were immediately up given I’ve also struggled with infertility and miscarriage. The second my feet stepped off our tour bus and touched the sacred grounds, I became overwhelmed with such great peace and grace, and I simply starting weeping. For the record, I’m not a crier; I get mad and yell, I bite my tongue and distort my face in every fashion so not to cry. Those outright emotions were foreign and a little uncomfortable. As my tears were falling, our tour guide, a very spiritual woman who sensed something special was happening within me, came over to me, hugged me, and simply said, “Let the tears fall. They will heal you.”

The altar inside Mary’s home

Upon entering Mary’s house, a simple altar welcomes pilgrims and their prayers. Our tour guide took hold of my hand and encouraged both Joel and me to sit to the side, out of the way from the other pilgrims. She even sat with us in prayer and allowed us some extra prayer time. During my prayers, I felt Mary holding and loving me, encouraging me with hope. I kept “hearing” that I needed to pray for two people. I don’t know if those two people are the two children we’ve lost in miscarriage, two more babies yet to conceive, maybe simply prayers for Joel and me. Time will tell. But for the remainder of our pilgrimage, I lit two candles in every church I entered and prayed for those two souls.

Many question the devotion Catholics have to Mary. They can question all they want, but they can’t take away the peace she offered to me that day. It was like I was standing right next to her at the foot of the cross as she experienced her son’s crucifixion. She was mourning the loss of her son; I was mourning the loss of the two children lost in miscarriage. Mary gave me a sign of hope that day, just as the Assumption of Mary provides hope for all of humanity. As St. Francis de Sales states on the Assumption: “What son would not bring his mother back to life and would not bring her into paradise after her death if he could?” What hope and grace!

Friends and regular readers of the blog know I’m expecting a baby once again. We came home from our pilgrimage and a few weeks later discovered I was pregnant. Maybe that’s one of two souls I’ve been praying for? I trust the Holy Spirit will reveal in due time.

*UPDATE: This post was originally written and published in 2011. Today’s update, August 15, 2013, I’m actually expecting another baby again! So there’s at least two new souls!

Today, be hopeful, and allow the Blessed Virgin Mary to be your living sign of hope!

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Comments

Lisa, this is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing. I remember the peace you found in your eyes that day and it was wonderful to share that moment with you. Please know you are in my daily prayers. You are such a blessing in my life. Thanks for your friendship!

Thank you, Sarah! And sorry about the punctuation snafu with our site. We upgraded our WP theme over the weekend, and now the spacing on punctuation is off. It’s just when you use commas or such mid-sentence. Weird and annoying. It’s everywhere on our site. If you figure it out, I will like you more! ;)

I, too, remember the tears of peace in your eyes that day. That was such a beautiful experience and I’m honored that I was able to share it with you. And, Ishin was definitely my favorite tour guide on that trip!! :)

This is beautiful and I am so hopeful for you!!
My wonderful, wise yet snarky daddy died on the Feast of the Assumption this year. While I am so sad to be left behind… my relatives all tell me that death on the assumption is a blessing! Perhaps he got a straight shot up there?!

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